September 6th in History

Interior of the original Piggly Wiggly, the world’s first true self-service grocery story, in Memphis, Tennessee

(Photo: Clarence Saunders, 1918)

Today in History

  • The Pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower (1628, O.S. September 16*)
  • Henry David Thoreau leaves Walden Pond and moves in with Ralph Waldo Emerson (1847)
  • Louisa Ann Swain of Laramie, Wyoming, becomes the first woman in the US to cast a legal vote (1870)
  • The first self-service grocery store, Piggly Wiggly, opens in Memphis (1916)
  • The first of the “Blackfriars ships,” dating back to the 2nd century CE, is discovered in London’s River Thames (1962)
  • The Munich massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes takes place (1972)
  • Cal Ripken, Jr., sets a record for consecutive MLB games, 2,131 (1995)
  • The funeral of Princess Diana takes place in London (1997)

* “Old Style” (O.S.) refers to the changeover from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Events caught in the overlap are often cited using both the Gregorian and Julian dates.

Birthdays

  • Jane Addams, sociologist and Nobel laureate (1860)
  • Felix Salten, author and critic (1869)
  • Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., businessman and diplomat, father of US President John Kennedy (1888)
  • Claire Lee Chennault, led the Flying Tigers (1893)
  • Robert Pirsig, wrote Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1928)
  • Sergio Aragonés, comics illustrator (1937)
  • Jo Anne Worley, comedian (1937)
  • Swoosie Kurtz, actress (1944)
  • Jane Curtin, actress and comedian (1947)
  • Jeff Foxworth, actor and comedian (1958)
  • Rosie Perez, actress (1964)
  • Idris Elba, actor (1972)

Deaths

  • Metius, mathematician and astronomer (1635)
  • Arthur Rackham, fantasy illustrator (1939)
  • Olaf Stapledon, science fiction writer (1950)
  • Kay Kendall, actress (1959)
  • Margaret Sanger, nurse and educator (1966)
  • Ernest Tubb, country musician (1984)
  • Quinn Martin, television producer (1987)
  • Tom Fogerty, member of Creedence Clearwater Revival (1990)
  • James Clavell, author (1994)
  • Akira Kurosawa, filmmaker (1998)
  • Madeline L’Engle, author (2007)
  • Martin Milner, actor (2015)

Holidays and Observances

  • Armed Forces Day (Sao Tome and Principe)
  • Army Day (Pakistan)
  • Flag Day (Bonaire)
  • Independence Day (Swaziland)
  • National Coffee Ice Cream Day (US)
  • Unification Day (Bulgaria)

September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). There are 116 days remaining until the end of the year.